our brand-new abc news/washington post poll shows an absolute dead-heat. 48%. still, in those battleground states, a small but steady lead for president obama and it's in the battlegrounds especially those midwestern states of iowa, wisconsin and ohio, where the candidates are making their closing arguments. >> the american auto industry is back on top. osama bin laden is dead. we have made real progress. but, we are here today because we know we got more work to do. >> the question in this election is this, do you want to stay on the course that we are on or do you want real change? because we represent real change. >>> with that, let's hear from the campaign's top strategists. david plouffe and ed gillespie. david, let me begin with you. i know that you have been steadily confident throughout this campaign. but you saw our abc news/washington post poll still absolutely deadlocked. 48-48. how can you remain so confident? >> well, george, we have always known that this was going to be a very close race. but it is going to be decided in the battle ground states.